How to Cut a 4-by-8 Sheet of Plywood

Circular saws are common home tools that can produce clean, straight cuts on plywood.

Cutting a 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of plywood can be difficult if you don't have a large table saw or other specialty equipment on hand. Many do-it-yourselfers have a circular saw, and it can be difficult to produce a straight cut on such a large piece of lumber with this tool. However, there is a popular process for producing clean, straight cuts on plywood and other large sheets of stock with a circular saw.

Things You'll Need

• Circular saw
• 1-inch by 2-inch piece of lumber 8 feet long
• C-Clamps (2)
• 4-foot by 8-foot by 2-inch sheet of foam
• Measuring tape
• Pencil

Instructions

1. Measure and mark the plywood where you want to cut it.

2. Measure the width from the saw blade to the outside of the saw shoe for the guide line. Mark this line on the plywood, line up the 1-inch by 2-inch piece of lumber with your guide line and clamp it in place with the C-clamps.

3. Set the foam on a flat surface, such as the driveway, and lay the plywood on top of the foam so the edges all line up.

4. Adjust the cutting depth of the blade to 1/4 inch deeper than the plywood is thick.

5. Make sure that when the edge of the saw's shoe is held against the 1-by-2-inch lumber that the blade lines up with the cut line.

6. Power up the saw, hold it snug against the 1-by-2-inch guide, and push it down the length of the plywood to make your cut.

Tips & Warnings

• Use eye and ear protection when using power tools.

References

• Benchmark.20m.com: Cutting Sheet Goods